Hey guys, I'm reopening recruitment for this as I'm splitting the game into two separate storylines that I do not see as having much interaction; one half will be run here on the boards, and I'm looking for two or three players to join what is right now a solo mission. Please design your characters with the following things in mind:

- Current career level throughout the party is 7, but I plan to give out level 8 very soon, so build to level 8, please.- Fast Feats is in effect.- Furthermore, each character will get a signature item (we have mostly weaponry so far) that provides a benefit akin to a "Heritage" Species feat, and which can be further boosted by taking the relevant "Legacy" feat. Stats will be somewhat better than the base item, but I admit that this is very vague guidance. Run your ideas past me and we'll work it out together.- Every FantasyCraft option is legal, but the flavor is that everyone is human and there's no overt magic. You can justify game mechanics as extreme physical prowess, nigh-mythical training or ninja tricks as required.- I'm fairly loose with a lot of the fiddlier mechanics, so if you're thinking of utilizing a build with a high Wealth and Legend progression, please speak to me so I can be sure not to sweep your strengths under the carpet in the name of simplicity.- I think a good character motivation profile for this game is "good-hearted, but morally flexible", aka your classic adventurer.

I'll be putting up an IC thread shortly and will start moving Anderson's character into the setting, so don't get irritated by that - any newcomers will be introduced into the story where it's sensible for them to meet his character and tag along.

Were Fast Feats always in effect? I don't remember if I built to that or not.

Also, since you haven't been handing out reputation specifically, should we just assume it's 10 per level? Takao would like to continue building his rep (which, I guess, hasn't really seen much play effect).

Mizu is a katana, forged by the legendary swordsmith Tsusume ro-shi more than 100 years ago as part of a set of the four lesser elemental blades. Mizu's steel has a strong blue hue, and its temper line is white, like crashing waves. Observers who examine at the blade long enough would swear that the temper line changes ever so subtly as they look at it. Wielded, fighting against Mizu is like fighting against water: it can slip attacks through the tightest defense, yet doesn't present good opportunity for counterattack.

Mizu came into possession of Takao's master as a gift from the emperor. Mizu used to be wielded by Takao's sensei, and was bestowed upon Takao when he embarked on his musha shugyo. Takao finds the honor of wielding Mizu still difficult to bear, and thus also carries the blade of his father, to use against lesser opponents which would only sully the honorable blade. Takao thus represents a fairly unusual sight, for he bears two katanas instead of the traditional daisho.

For Takao, I'm gonna say he's done four adventures, two with a menace of 4 and two with a menace of 3. So a total of 50 + 4 x your Legend. It's admittedly a little rough, but should get you a basic stock to spend on stuff if you wish.

I was thinking about a Hanse swashbuckler. I also initially considered an alchemist build, either as ninja mystic or herbalist wise man, but then Glim took the concept (though he never played it in the end).

I'm also tempted by the Courtier class, but I don't have a concept yet.

OK, here are two concepts. I'm fine with either one of them, and leave up to you and Mr. A what you want to put up with.

Hans Stoertebeker (Hanse Swashbuckler)

A brash, flamboyant fop with a taste for danger and adventure. Sent to Nippon by his noble parents who thought it'd be good for him to cool his heels in foreign parts, and potentially do something useful on the way. Sent to San'in to figure out if and how the local Hanse traders are involved in courtly intrigues in the country, or if the Hanse are set up as tools, and then minimize potential damage to the trade revenues.

Kemuri (Ninja Mystic (Mage))In the children's tales of ninja, there are men who can shift the shape of their faces, walk across water, and dissolve into smoke. Like all tales, there is a kernel of truth, but the ancient arts of the ninja are dying, being replaced by technology and parlor tricks. Kemuri is one of the last practitioners of the ancient arts, and his abilities border on the supernatural. His mission is (determined by the GM). His hearts desire, however, is to stop the progress of technological advance and return Nippon to its spiritual roots.

(Kemuri would be a mage (maybe toss in a few levels of burglar), but limit his spell selection to the Trickster school and other non-flashy magics. The Alchemist class ironically uses way too obvious magic effects, but I might take an Alchemy feat or two.)

Note that I'll happily make way for any new players, if you can find enough. I'm part of the campaign already anyway.

I'm thinking about taking the Sorcerer Origin to simulate the dark pacts and somewhat supernatural character of the true shinobi, and was either thinking Elemental Heritage (Darkness) or Saurian Blood with Jungle Clutch.

I also want to re-flavor some spells:

Magic Missile -> hail of shuriken Cause Wounds X -> Atemi strike

I would choose those two to simulate ninja martial prowess. They would look like regular attacks, but the mechanism is a spell.